Proa Shunting and Rudder Design

We finally managed to film and edit a video which shows how we shunt Proasis and how our rudder system works.
Starring: Christian Arriens
Narration: Celine Greitens
Camera: Henrik Richter-Alten

[@dominictarrsailing]

I love that you are sticking with the traditional shunt! the linked rudder design is brilliant, I haven't seen that before! also great production quality on this video!

[@proasisproject]

Thank you! The rudder mechanism is unique, we can proudly claim that we came up with that on our own 😊 But everybody is invited to copy!

[@hell-bentfpv]

Been following this project for quite a while and somehow missed this video, great explanation on how a shunt works! That rudder linkage design is super cool too. I imagine that a great deal of time and moving about could be eliminated through the use of a "tack track" as found on some other oceanic lateen-rigged proas, but I understand that for the Proasis project simplicity and low cost of construction were key considerations, so it makes sense to stay traditional in that regard.

[@proasisproject]

Thanks, that's nice to know :) Yeah, we keep it like this on purpose. As simple and possible. We don't mind the moving, it's really much less of an effort than it looks like (with the right technique of course). We use proasis quite often for story telling events about climate change and other ocean related activities. For the guests it's always a sensation to feel the wind in their hands and move with the waves and the boat. To be honest I like it alot too. Having a track might make the shunt a bit faster by forcing the sail to the other side but the direct connection is lost. The feeling of a manual shunt is difficult to describe but I don't want to miss it.

[@opcn18]

I really like your rudder linkage.

[@proasisproject]

Thanks!

[@PROJECT_936_dot_NET]

How's it goin', champ? Just wanted to let you know that your KZbin videos are nothing short of outstanding. I stumbled across your channel this week, and I reckon you're absolutely killing it. I'm having a bonza time visiting your channel and immersing myself in your top-notch content. Keen as a bean to see more of your stellar work, mate. Have a grouse week and keep being a legend!

[@dimitricherny]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@proasisproject]

Thanks!

[@chrisclarke5040]

Great video, very clear. The rudders look excellent.

[@proasisproject]

Thanks 👍

[@markpalmquist]

Nice! I like your rudder system. Very smart.

[@proasisproject]

Thanks! 👍

[@cesarmuttio506]

Que hermoso barco! felicidades.

[@proasisproject]

Muchas gracias!

[@chindian82]

Love the linked rudder design. Question: Is there a reason the leeboard is on the vaka and not the ama? My understanding is that typically the leeboards are on amas on shunting proas to make it easier to keep the ama to windward. Is this a non-issue in the proasis design?

[@proasisproject]

Thanks! No, the placement of the lateral plan (leeboard, foil, hull shape or whatever) on the windward hull is the exception. It's mainly promoted by designers with a western background, there is no traditional design with this feature. The reason is that the lateral plan on the windward hull puts a lot of bending moment on the entire structure, in fact really counteracting the design idea of a proa. Proasis has no problems with getting caught aback whatsoever. In the last 3 years it only happened once in zero wind because of a 180° shift. Most of the time the reason for getting caught aback is either an imbalanced design of lateral and sail plan or wrong handling. As pointed out in the video it's important to work with the wind, swell and canoe instead of fighting the elements by applying force.

[@wailinburnin]

⁠@@proasisprojectDo you have a video about being caught aback? I have never seen a caught aback proa recovery video, it would be interesting. Do you ever carry a dinghy on deck?

[@proasisproject]

​@@wailinburnin no, that never really happened. It's not a problem we think about much because it doesn't play a big role in sailing her. Actually it only happened twice so far. One time the wind died down and changed direction by 180° while we were drifting. The other time we sailed into a gybe in more wind on purpose just to see what happens. Not a big deal after all, the boat either recovers on its own or by using a paddle. If you are interested we will make a video once we get back into the water.

[@wailinburnin]

@@proasisproject I was just thinking it would be interesting to see, you’ve got great drone clips. All the best to you, cool boat!

[@proasisproject]

@@wailinburnin actually that's a good idea, will make one but it will take a couple of month before it's warm enough to get back on the water.

[@djmydlack]

Well you asked - I'm always concerned in videos when the music swells and a soothing voice leads me through an experience - especially when I'm told what to feel about it. Turn off the sound and the whole procedure looks involved, janky, and cumbersome. At least for inshore and coastal daysailing. Of course, offshore, long-haul is a different story. I think the proa is a craft of a particular context, a situational solution.

[@proasisproject]

Absolutely agree with your last sentence. A proa is definitely not the best design for inland sailing. That said, we only do inland sailing over here, the Baltic sea is just not a real ocean. We've logged well over 1000 nm with Proasis, considerable stretches singlehanded. Believe it or not, shunting our canoe is really as easy as the soothing voice tells you :D If you are still not convinced you are very welcome to join us sailing and see for yourself. But be warned, the girl with the soothing voice might join too 😅

[@dominictarrsailing]

how do the rudders behave if you run aground? will it slide up or kick up? It looks like if the rudder kicks up (say by sailing into a sandy bottom) it would still provide some steerage, which is ideal rudder behavior in my opinion

[@proasisproject]

Both (kind of). The foils themselves (old F18 daggerboards) run in casetts up and down. They can be adjusted for the water depth or even completely retracted. The connector tube has a fuse which allows it to telescope and kick up the rudder so far that they clear the surface, even if all the way down. The fuse is reset by simply pushing down the rudder frame. It snaps back automatically. The entire setup consists only of two tubes, a round piece of PVC and a bungee cord. No metal or complicated mechanic. So the draught of the rudder can be preset. If something goes wrong (shallow spot, rock, reef or heavy floating object) they kick up.

[@dominictarrsailing]

so is the fuse a notch that the bungee grips? so it pops out and is then free?

[@proasisproject]

​@@dominictarrsailingno it's never free. There is a smaller tube inside of the yellow one. Both tubes have a semi circular cutout. The cutouts are lined up by a PVC cam which is tensioned by bungee cord. If the rudder hits something the inner tube is pulled out about 30cm to kick the rudder up. Sounds complicated but it's as simple as it gets. Don't worry if my explanation is difficult to follow, there will soon be a video showing that part in detail 😅

[@dominictarrsailing]

I think I can imagine it but a video is even better!

[@proasisproject]

​@@dominictarrsailingworking on it 👍

[@markthomasson5077]

Interesting. Like the rudders. But worry the moving of the sail by hand would be an issue in a big sea / wind.

[@proasisproject]

Thanks! No not really actually. Doing it for years already. It gets even more easy with stronger wind. The secret is the right technique (as demonstrated in this video). The wind adds stability and does most of the work.

[@markthomasson5077]

@@proasisproject ..I was thinking of when the waves are crashing over the bow(s) and the wind ripping the sail from your grip.

[@proasisproject]

​@@markthomasson5077in conditions when there are waves crashing over the bows without the boat moving (i.e. heaved to position in preparation for a shunt) there is no sailing anymore anyway.

[@dnomyarnostaw]

Interesting, but the sound needs redoing badly.

[@proasisproject]

Sounds fine to me, sure it's not something wrong with your device?

[@dnomyarnostaw]

@@proasisproject Hmm, just been watching over a dozen other videos with no problem, on a PC with sound system. I have to turn the sound way up, and the music is drowning out the narrator. Lets see if anyone else has issues.

[@chrisclarke5040]

Sounds fine to me?@@dnomyarnostaw

[@keernhaslem1845]

Rewatched: Not having difficulty making out her words. Could see why the levels could be adjusted a marginal amount.